History · Year 12

Active learning ideas

The Protectorate of Somerset: Government and Aims

Active learning helps students grasp the complexity of Somerset’s rule because his government relied on actions—enforcing proclamations, managing commissions, and debating strategy—that students can examine through hands-on tasks rather than passive reading.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• A-Level: History - Edward VI: The Mid-Tudor Crisis
• A-Level: History - The Tudors: England, 1485–1603

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Enclosure Commission

In small groups, students analyze Somerset's 1548 commission into illegal enclosure. They must identify why this policy made him popular with the peasants but 'toxic' to the landowning classes who actually ran the government.

Analyze how effectively Somerset handled the economic crisis and enclosure.

Facilitation Tip

During the Enclosure Commission, assign each group a different enclosure source so they must compare perspectives before drafting their report.

What to look for

Ask students to write two sentences explaining one reason Somerset issued proclamations and one sentence describing a consequence of his enclosure policy.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Scottish Garrison Debate

Students role-play a council meeting where Somerset defends his policy of building permanent forts (garrisons) in Scotland. They must calculate the cost of these forts and debate whether they are a 'strategic masterstroke' or a 'financial black hole'.

Explain why Somerset's policy in Scotland (the garrisoning) failed.

Facilitation Tip

In the Scottish Garrison Debate, give half the class the role of proponents and half the role of critics to ensure balanced participation.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Was Somerset's failure in Scotland primarily due to poor strategy or insurmountable circumstances?' Facilitate a brief class debate, asking students to cite evidence from the lesson.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The 'Good Duke' Myth

Students analyze contemporary and modern views of Somerset. They discuss in pairs whether he was a 'sincere reformer' who cared for the poor, or an 'arrogant autocrat' who was simply out of his depth.

Evaluate the extent to which Somerset was a 'liberal' ahead of his time.

Facilitation Tip

For the 'Good Duke' Myth activity, provide a mix of contemporary praise and criticism so students must weigh evidence before deciding.

What to look for

Provide students with a short primary source excerpt (e.g., a complaint about enclosure). Ask them to identify the social problem described and suggest one action Somerset might have taken, referencing his known policies.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Focus on process rather than outcomes. Use role play and collaborative analysis to show how Somerset’s methods created as many problems as they solved. Avoid presenting him as simply a tyrant or a reformer; instead, let students see the contradictions in his policies through the evidence itself.

Students will show they understand Somerset’s methods and failures by analyzing primary evidence, debating policy choices, and evaluating contemporary perspectives, not just recalling dates or events.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Somerset was a 'Protestant extremist'.

  During the Enclosure Commission activity, provide the 1549 Prayer Book for close reading so students can see the text’s moderate language and note Somerset’s caution in religious reform.

• Somerset's fall was only because of the 1549 rebellions.

  During the 'Good Duke' Myth Think-Pair-Share, include quotations from Council members criticizing his autocratic style so students recognize that his political isolation began before the rebellions.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share